Gaseous tube flasher circuit



April 19, 1949. R. R. GosHoRN GASEOUS TUBE FLASHER CIRCUIT Filed Feb. 26, 1947 i7|||||||||||||||||||r Y I N VEN TOR. foanfr @asno/wv'.

BY www ATTORN ZVS.

Patented Apr. 19, 1949 GASEOUS TUBE FLASHER CIRCUIT Robert R. Goshorn, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Automatic Electrical Devices Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 26, 1947, Serial No. 730,880

Claims. (Cl. 315-235) My invention relates to a gaseous tube flasher circuit wherein the gaseous tube is actuated and energized by a battery preferably of the dry cell variety in successive flashes of very short duration spaced relatively far apart so as to conserve 5 small capacity condenser is pla-ced a small glow the current of the battery and operate the flasher lamp which will light up and discharge the confor Ia relatively great length of time. denser when it has been built up to its capacity In a copending application led February 11, by the static on the tube envelope. i947 Serial No. '727,789 and entitled Back panel In the following description I will describe an for flasher vcasing or the like, I have shown a -10 exemplary embodiment Setting fOlth a COInPiet flasher circuit for operating a gaseous tube as operative circuit and enumerating the values of above described wherein the tube consists of an the electrical conductive elements contained in electric neon glow l-amp with a starting voltage of the circuit. However, it is to be understood that 85 direct current and having the ele-ctrodes spaced conductive elements of different values may be very closely together. used with gaseous tubes of different lengths and While the circuit described in my copending different constructions. application works very satisfactorily with a neon Referring to thel drawing, I provide a bank of glow lamp with the electrodes spaced closely todry Cell batteries i presenting a D. C. voltage of gether, I have found that such a circuit alone between 1000 to 1200 volts. The batteries l are is not adapted to operate a neon-type gaseous connected in series with the resistor 2 and the tube wherein the electrodes are spaced relatively Condenser 3. For the Circuit described, I provide fer apart, es en exemp1e, 12 inches apart, a resistor 2 having a resistance of between 10 to When using a gaseous tube with the electrodes 20 million ohms. The resistor 2 is preferably a Speeed relativen; far apart, I have found that the non-inductive resistor, such as plain carbon. The rst ash or partial flash charges the glass en- Condenser 3 has a Capaoity 0f .015 miorofareds. velope of the tube with static electricity which Across the condenser 3 is connected the elecopposes a further flash of the tube as long as the trodes of the gaseous tube #i in series with the Statie Charge remains on the envelope lnductance 5. rIhe inductance 5 in this circuit I1; is an Object of my invention to provide a is from 3 to 5 henrys. The gaseous tube in this gaseous tube flasher circuit primarily for use Circuit nus eleCtrOdeS 6 and 7 SDaCed apart 12 with gaseous tubes having electrodes spaced relainches and iS bent in the forni 0f e U t0 adept it tively far apart wherein there is a tendency to for inSerton in u Socket. The gaseous ktube 4, build up static in the envelope of the tube which Whoh I use in this eXemplery Circuit, is 15 mm. opposes continuous flashing. in diameter and may Contain neon gas at a pres- It is a, further Object, of my invention t0 over.. 35 Sure Of 10 mm. Of Course, if desirable the tube come the above described condition in long gasmuy be Charged with a Combination of neon and cous tubes by establishingl a secondary circuit argon plus liquid mercury for colors and may which will intermittently withdraw the static or may not be coated with a phosphcrescent or charge from the tube envelope and thus permit luminescent Coating as desired. further and continuous flashing. The above described circuit will make the These and other objects of my invention, which gaseous tube l give a partial flash or a single will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent flash. This iS brought about as described in my to one skilled in the art upon reading these speci- Copending epplioetion Serial N0- 72'7389 I"lied fications, I accomplish by that certain construc- February 11, 1947 and in brief consists of the tion and arrangement of parts, of which I shall `Charging of the condenser 3 by the battery I and now describe an exemplary embodiment. Referthe discharge of the condenser 3 through the ence is now made to the drawing which forms a tube 4. However, the first ash or partial flash part hereof and in which: will create static electricity in the glass envelope The figure represents a circuit diagram showof the tube Ll which will oppose any further flash. ing my new gaseous tube flasher circuit. In order to remove the static electricity built Briefly in the practice of my invention, I proup in the envelope of the tube 4, I provide a secvide a source of direct .current which charges a ondary circuit comprising a wire winding 8 condenser through a resistance. The condenser around the tube 5 on the outside of the glass enthen discharges through an inductance in series Velope. The wire winding 8 may be of either fine or coarse Wire, and in the embodiment shown with the gaseous tube. The static electricity set up in the glass tube envelope is conducted away by coarsely spaced turns of wire around the tube and through a small capacity condenser to one side of the line energizing the tube. Across the I prefer No. 26 or No. 28 wire. The spacing of the convolutions of the wire 8 are preferably about 1A in. apart so as not to interfere or restrict the output of light from the tube 4. One end of the wire winding 8 is connected through a condenser S of very small capacity to one side I of the circuit actuating the gaseous tube 4. Across the condenser 9, I place a small neon glow lamp H having an extremely small wattage. The condenser 9 has a capacity of .0005 microfarad.

In operation the static built up in the envelope of the tube 4 charges the condenser 9 which, in turn, is discharged through the small glow lamp Il, thus removing the static from the envelope of the tube 4.

From the above it is apparent that at each flash of the tube 4 from the discharge of the condenser 3, static is built up in the envelope which, in turn, charges the small condenser 9 which, when it reaches its capacity, discharges through the glow lamp Il, thus clearing static from the envelope before the next discharge of the condenser 3 through the gaseous tube 4.

With the above circuits it is possible to iiash intermittently a gaseous tube having electrodes spaced relatively far apart by means of a bank of dry cells and thus permit continuous action for a great length of time due to the small current flowing from the dry cells at each flash. The capacity of the condenser 3 and the resistance of the resistor 2 determine the spacing of the intermittent ashes, while the impedance of the circuit determines the duration of the iiashes.

From the above it is apparent that similar circuits may be provided for gaseous tubes of different lengths and different designs.

While I have described a wire Winding 8, it is within the contemplation of my invention to provide a conductive coating on the outside of the tube envelope 4 which will not greatly restrict the output of light from the tube 4. This may consist of any metallic coating either spirally painted around the tube envelope or placed on the tube envelope in any manner which does not restrict the light but which picks up the static on the envelope.

It is to be understood that modication may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not intend to limit myself otherwise than as pointed out in the claims which follow. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A battery operated asher circuit for gaseous tubes of an appreciable length which comprises a bank of batteries in series with a resistor and a condenser, the electrodes of a gaseous tube being in series with an inductance and said condenser, a separate circuit comprising a wire with coarsely spaced turns surrounding the gaseous tube envelope and connected to the circuit including the tube electrodes through a condenser of low capacity across which is connected a small gaseous glow lamp to discharge the same.

2. A battery operated asher circuit for gaseous tubes of an appreciable length which comprises a bank of batteries in series with a resistor and a condenser, the electrodes of a gaseous tube in series with an inductance connected across said condenser, a separate circuit comprising conductive material associated with the outside of the gaseous tube envelope and connected to the circuit including the tube electrodes through a condenser of low capacity across which is connected a small gaseous glow lamp to discharge the saine.

3. A circuit for intermittently removing the static charge from the envelope of a gaseous tube of appreciable length which comprises a coarsely spaced conductive winding around said envelope and connected through a low capacity condenser to one side of the tube energizing circuit and a small gaseous glow lamp across said condenser to discharge the same.

4. A circuit for intermittently removing the static charge from the envelope of a gaseous tube of appreciable length which comprises at least a partial coating on the tube envelope of conductive material and a connection between the same and one side of the tube energizing circuit through a low capacity condenser across which is connected a small gaseous glow lamp to discharge the same.

5. A circuit for intermittently removing the static charge from the envelope of a gaseous tube of appreciable length, which comprises at least a partial coating of conductive material surrounding the tube envelope and a connection between the same and one side oi the tube energizing circuit through a low capacity condenser across which is connected means to discharge the same.

ROBERT R. GOSHORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,201,003 Berkey May 14, 1940 2,252,638 McCauley Aug. 12, 1941 

